Former Kerry underage star Mark O'Connor has spoken about his delight at joining AFL side Geelong Cats.
Just under a month ago, the two-time All-Ireland minor winner announced he was to move south and join the team, based an hour, south-west of Melbourne, to follow in footsteps of Kerry natives Tadhg Kennelly and Tommy Walsh.
Geelong had a successful season last year, finishing second in the table. They exited the playoffs in the Preliminary Finals, losing to Sydney Swans.
O'Connor moved to the area in the past few weeks, and has called the experience "amazing" so far, calling it "very enjoyable".
"I’ll work hard and I’ll throw myself into it."
Meet the Cats' newest Irishman!
📰 📺 https://t.co/ArlLJ6qqza pic.twitter.com/JQmtX9fFSO
— Geelong Cats (@GeelongCats) November 16, 2016
He admitted the chance of being a professional athlete, was one of the main reasons for the move to Australia. "The environment over here where it's constant improvement, really appealed to me".
A product of Dingle and Pobalscoil Chorca Dhuibhne, O'Connor thanked his coaches and teammates for all their help throughout his young career, stating he would not be where he is without their guidance and help.
O'Connor is not the only Irishman at the club. He will join Portlaoise's Zach Tuohy in Geelong. The Irish International Rules star joined the team ahead of the new season.
You can watch O'Connor's full interview on the Geelong website here.
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